Drought-induced increase in wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) accumulation in developing wheat embryos appears to be independent of ABA

Abstract

Accumulation of wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) in the developing embryos of three different wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars, PBW-138, PBW-299 and C-306, was studied in relation to abscisic acid (ABA) accumulation under water stress conditions at 18, 24 and 30 days post anthesis (DPA) under natural conditions. Imposition of water stress in all three cultivars resulted in enhanced ABA levels in the embryos at all stages of grain development. On the contrary, the increase in WGA accumulation in the embryos in response to drought was stage- and cultivar-dependent. Our results suggest that apart from ABA, other factors that are temporally expressed may be involved in drought-induced regulation of the WGA gene.